Laverne Cummings Person, age 95, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Wednesday, March 15, 2023, at the home of her daughter in Olathe, Kansas. She was born August 12, 1927, in Ft. Scott, the daughter of Booker T. Cummings and Cleo Mae Jenkins Cummings. Laverne received her early education at the E. J. Hawkins School in Ft. Scott and went on to graduate from the Ft. Scott High School.

She married Dennis C. Person on March 2, 1946, in Ft. Scott. He preceded her in death on November 15, 1950. Because of the untimely death of her husband, Laverne had to work hard to meet the needs of her family.

In earlier years, she worked as a housekeeper and then took a job at the County Clerk’s office where she worked for a few years. Later, she was employed in human resources by the City of Ft. Scott where she worked for many years. Laverne had a life-long love of reading, and the last few years of her tenure with the City were spent working at the Ft. Scott Public Library.

In addition to reading, Laverne also enjoyed cooking and baking. Laverne was a woman of faith and was a longtime member of the United Missionary Baptist Church. She was also a past member of the Eastern Star and the Athenium Study Club.

Family was everything to Laverne, and they all pulled together to take care of her during her final years. Many precious memories were made on the back porch on Hill Street where family and friends gathered to listen to her words of wit and wisdom. Laverne will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved her.

Survivors include her four daughters, Janice Greene (Arthur), Linda Wilson (Larry) and Cindy Becky (Brent) all of Olathe, Kansas and Holly Rogers (Richard) of Parker, Colorado; her daughter-in-law, Beverly Albertson Person of Kansas City, Missouri; twelve grandchildren and a host of great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren. Also surviving are two brothers, Jerry Cummings of Sacramento, California and Phillip Cummings (Mary Ann) of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; sisters-in-law, Wava Cummings and Alta Cummings and numerous nieces and nephews and friends.

In addition to her husband, Dennis, Laverne was preceded in death by her parents, Booker T. and Cleo Cummings, a son, Dennis Person, Jr.; five brothers, Donald, who died in infancy, and Gardner, Charles, Albert and David Cummings and a sister, Maxine Gordon.

 

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. Friday, March 31st at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Burial will follow in the U. S. National Cemetery.

The family will receive friends on Friday from 10:00 A.M. until service time at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Memorials are suggested to the Ft. Scott Public Library and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.